Practice putting device including vertically slidable annulus



F. M NAMARA July 29, 1969 PRAGTICE PUTTING DEVICE INCLUIjING VERTICALLY SLIDABLE ANNULUS Filed Sept. 22, 1966 INVENTOR Francis McNamara g i United States Patent 3,458,202 PRAQTICE PUTTING DEVICE INCLUDING VERTICALLY SLIDABLE ANN ULUS Francis McNamara, 122 Baker Drive, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15236 Filed Sept. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 581,240 Int. Cl. A631) 57/00 US. Cl. 273-177 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to practice putting cups and particularly to a practice putting cup which may be used indoors or outdoors and moved from place to place. There has long been a need for a practice putting cup which could be used either indoors or outdoors and which would simulate the effect of an actual putting cup. Many attempts to provide such a cup have been made with more or less indifferent success. The principal problem in most prior art devices has been the fact that generally a ramp has been required or some other function provided which required a ball to be struck harder or at angle different than would be normal under like circumstances on an actual putting green. This is not desirable because it introduces an error in judgment and stroking into the prac-' tice which error is carried over into the actual game. For example, cups have been provided in which a central depression to catch the golf ball is surrounded by an annular ramp of slightly conical configuration.

My invention eliminates these problems of prior art devices and provides a means for effectively simulating the problems encountered on a putting green. The device of my invention will catch and hold a ball whose trajectory is such that it would enter the cup of a normal putting green but will cause those balls which would not enter the cup to pass by or be diverted so that actual conditions on 9. putting green are ideally simulated.

Preferably I provide a base, a weighted annulus on said base having a diameter greater than the base and extending horizontally over the base, said annulus being spaced above the base a distance slightly less than the diameter of a standard golf ball. Preferably the bottom surface of the annulus is slightly spherical so that the outer periphery is spaced above the bottom of the base a distance slightly greater than the diameter of a golf ball and the center is spaced slightly less than such diameter. The bottom surface of the annulus is preferably roughened, knurled or coated with a pile or other frictional material to provide a holding surface. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the shaft is elongated and provided with a flag simulating that on a golf green.

In the foregoing general description I have set out certain objects, purposes and advantages of my invention. Other objects, purposes and advantages of this invention will be evident from the following description and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top isometric view of a practice putting cup according to my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom isometric view of the device of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the device of FIG- URE 1.

3,458,202 Patented July 29, 1969 Referring to the drawing I have illustrated a base 10 carrying a vertical shaft or standard 11. The shaft 11 is provided at its top with a flag. A weighted annulus 13, preferably of cast iron, is slidable on shaft 11 and rests on top 14 of base 10 which acts as a bottom limiting stop. The bottom 15 of annulus 13 is preferably slightly curved at the outer periphery 19 to give a slightly spherical contour to the bottom and is knurled 16 to provide a holding surface.

The top 14 is positioned so that the bottom surface 15 of annulus 13 is spaced generally slightly less than the diameter of a golf ball 17 from the bottom 18 of base- 10. The outer periphery 19 is spaced a distance slightly greater than the diameter of a golf ball from bottom of base 18.

In use a golf ball is struck toward the standard 11. If the trajectory is such that it would enter the cup the ball goes directly beneath annulus 13 and is held as in FIGURE 3. If the trajectory is slightly off but sufliciently close that the ball would fall into the cup, it will be held by annulus 13 but if struck so hard it would roll past the cup the ball will go directly through beneath the edge of annulus 13. It will thus be seen that the practical simulation of an actual putting green by the device of my invention is quite effective and the error introduced by conventional practice devices are eliminated.

The bottom surface of annulus 13 may be knurled as described above or it may be coated with a depending pile such as a carpet surface or a corrugated rubber sheet or similar frictional material to hold the ball yet permit controlled movement thereof.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A practice putting cup comprising a base having an upper end and a planar bottom surface, a shaft extending vertically upward from a central portion of the upper end of said base, a weighted annulus having a central aperture therein slidably mounted on said shaft and a planar bottom surface extending parallel to the planar bottom surface of said base, the diameter of said annulus being greater than the maximum diameter of said base, stop means on the upper end of said base for supporting said annulus with its planar bottom surface spaced above the planar bottom surface of said base a distance slightly less than the diameter of a standard golf ball.

2. A practice putting cup as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bottom surface of the annulus includes a roughened friction imparting area.

3. A practice putting cup as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer bottom peripheral edge of the annulus is provided with a bevel such that said outer edge is spaced from the plane of the bottom of the base a distance slightly greater than the diameter of a standard olf ball.

4. A practice putting cup as claimed in claim 3 wherein the bottom surface of the annulus is knurled.

5. A practice putting cup as claimed in claim 3 wherein the shaft is elongated and provided at the top with a flag.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,939,142 12/1933 Seymour 273-l77 2,899,207 8/1959 Billinghurst 273177 FOREIGN PATENTS 184,409 8/ 1922 Great Britian.

GEORGE J. MARLO, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 273-127 

